New Plymouth Adventist Christian School

Education institution number:
4123
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
64
Telephone:
Address:

41 Saxton Road, Vogeltown, New Plymouth

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New Plymouth Adventist Christian School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and New Plymouth Adventist Christian School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

New Plymouth Adventist Christian School is a co-educational, state integrated special character school that caters for learners from year 1 to 8. It is located in New Plymouth. The school is currently being led by an acting principal with a permanent principal yet to be appointed.

New Plymouth Adventist Christian School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • to deliver quality teaching and learning through providing responsive curriculum to ensure that students make academic progress and achieve to their full potential

  • to foster effective partnerships through engaging with family and the local and wider community

  • to provide a biblically based and holistic learning environment that encourages the growth of Christian values and beliefs and promotes the overall wellbeing of every child.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on New Plymouth Adventist Christian School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent that community partnerships for learning support all learners to develop a strong sense of belonging and identity as citizens of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to celebrate and share the diverse cultures, languages and identity that exist in the school community to further develop a sense of connection and belonging

  • it is timely to work with community to develop a shared understanding of what learning looks like at the school

  • to further embed the school’s local curriculum to support all learners to achieve and progress as young people of Aotearoa.

The school expects to see:

  • a shared understanding between the school and the community about expectations for teaching and learning

  • a strong sense of connection and partnership for learning between the school and community

  • sustained or improved levels of achievement, engagement and wellbeing for all learners

  • a localised curriculum that engages and supports all learners to achieve.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it to evaluate the extent to which community partnerships for learning support all learners to develop a strong sense of belonging and identity as citizens of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

  • a teaching team with a sound knowledge of the New Zealand Curriculum

  • a school culture that is underpinned by its special character with developing cultural responsiveness

  • a diverse community who can bring a range of cultural knowledge, languages and practices to the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • consultation and collaboration with the school’s community to build a shared understanding of what learning looks like at the school

  • considering the development of tools to help support effective partnerships for learning.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 February 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

New Plymouth Adventist Christian School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of December 2022, the New Plymouth Adventist Christian School, School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact New Plymouth Adventist Christian School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 February 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

New Plymouth S D A School - 28/09/2017

Summary

New Plymouth Seventh Day Adventist (S D A) School, located on the outskirts of New Plymouth, caters for 17 students in Years 1 to 8.

Since the October 2014 ERO report, there has been a considerable decrease in the school roll. A new principal was appointed in 2017. She has a focus on growing partnerships with families and the community. Newly elected trustees make up the board.

The school’s special character is reflected in its Christian values. There is a clear vision to grow confident children, actively involved in lifelong learning, connected to God and their community. Currently the school is engaging with its community to redevelop its strategic intent.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school continues to strengthen practices and processes to promote equitable outcomes for all children.

A significant roll decline has made it difficult for staff and trustees to establish a clear picture of student achievement over time. At the time of this review, 2017 mid-year data indicates that the majority of students are working towards meeting the National Standards expectations in reading and mathematics. Achievement in writing is lower. School data shows some learners are making accelerated progress in mathematics.

There is a collective responsibility for, and strong focus on, student learning and wellbeing. The school environment has a positive tone. Relationships are warm and respectful. The curriculum provides a range of experiences to support children’s learning.

To further improve outcomes for students the school has identified the need to: strengthen assessment and teacher practice to build on achievement outcomes; and continue to review and develop robust policies and procedures particularly those related to health and safety.

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is developing its response to children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Comprehensive processes are now in place to target and respond to the progress and achievement of individuals.

End of year 2016 data shows approximately two-thirds of students achieve at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading and mathematics and just over half in writing. Overall, girls perform better than boys in reading and writing. Boys outperform girls in mathematics.

Responsive provision, including the use of teacher aides and external assistance, is in place for those children who require additional learning support.

The school has identified the need to extend the range of assessment tools in mathematics and writing to strengthen the dependability of overall teacher judgements in relation to the National Standards.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

The school continues to strengthen the conditions required to achieve equity and excellence for all children.

There is a collective responsibility for, and strong focus on, student learning, wellbeing and pastoral care needs. There is a positive school tone. Relationships are warm and respectful. Classroom conditions foster engagement in learning. The environment clearly reflects the school’s vision, beliefs and values.

The curriculum provides a range of experiences to foster children’s learning. Staff work collaboratively to assist those children requiring additional support with their learning.

Inclusive leadership provides clear direction for improvement. Responsive board resourcing decisions align to the school’s identified priorities.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

The school’s annual plan affirms ERO’s evaluation findings that, further development is needed to processes that raise achievement and promote accelerated progress for all children.

Teacher appraisal processes require review to more clearly align with priorities for raising achievement. Growing capability and capacity to use internal evaluation to support decision making for improvement to student outcomes is a key next step.

Updating the curriculum document, to reflect changes in school priorities and teaching practices and extending the range of assessment tools, to strengthen the dependability of National Standards judgements, are needed. The school continues to strengthen its collective responsibility and responsiveness to Māori learners’ culture, language and identities.

Trustees should continue to access ongoing training and support to build understanding of effective stewardship and an improved response to meeting all legislative requirements.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following:

  • board administration

  • curriculum

  • management of health, safety and welfare

  • personnel management

  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

  • physical safety of students

  • teacher registration and certification

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students

  • attendance

  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Actions required

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to the board meeting its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act, 2015.

In order to address this, the board needs to urgently develop and implement policies, practices and procedures relating to the Health and Safety at Work Act, 2015.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • review personnel policies, practices and procedures to ensure it meets requirements.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners.

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated

  • need to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner

  • need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement

  • need to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO

ERO will:

  • provide feedback and resources to support the development of more targeted planning

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

28 September 2017

About the school

Location

New Plymouth

Ministry of Education profile number

4123

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

17

Gender composition

Girls 13, Boys 4

Ethnic composition

Māori 3
Pākehā 14

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2017

Date of this report

28 September 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, October 2014
Education Review, October 2011
Supplementary Review, August 2008